A team representing King’s College Nepal has won the prestigious “Involvement of Underrepresented Voices Award 2026” at the Map the System Global Final, an international learning programme and competition hosted by the [Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. The programme brings together students from around the world to apply systems thinking in understanding complex social and environmental challenges.

The King’s College Nepal team comprised Aruna Joshi, Kabin Shrestha, Madan Lamsal, Prakriti Dhungel, and Prashant Parajuli. The team represented Nepal after winning the national-level competition and competed against participants from 48 universities and colleges worldwide.

The Nepali team presented a systems-thinking research project titled “Human–Monkey Conflict: Displacement of Farmers in Nepal.” Their study examined how the growing conflict between humans and monkeys is contributing to declining agricultural production, abandonment of farmland, rural migration, food insecurity, and governance challenges in Nepal’s mid-hill regions. Rather than proposing a single solution, the research explored the interconnected ecological, social, economic, cultural, and policy factors behind the problem and identified long-term systemic interventions.

The Involvement of Underrepresented Voices Award recognizes teams that meaningfully engage communities whose perspectives are often overlooked in addressing complex challenges. The Nepali team’s research stood out for incorporating the voices of farmers, local communities, researchers, conservation experts, and policymakers into its systems analysis.

The Map the System programme, organised annually by Oxford University’s Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, encourages participants to move beyond identifying symptoms and instead understand the root causes and interconnections behind global social and environmental issues through systems thinking. Since its launch, the programme has expanded to partner with universities across the world, creating a global network of future changemakers.

The achievement marks an important international recognition for both King’s College Nepal and the country’s growing engagement in evidence-based research and systems thinking. The award also highlights the global relevance of Nepal’s rural development challenges and demonstrates how local issues can contribute to international discussions on sustainable and inclusive development.

Kings College Nepal is affiliated with the Westcliff University, USA.